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A meteor that lit up the night sky in Saskatchewan on Tuesday night is seen in this screen image. A camera captures light from a meteorite in Saskatchewan, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012.

Brilliant flash spotted in sky above the Prairies

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CTV News Video

CTV National News: Flash brightens night sky
The Prairies were the main attraction Tuesday after a dazzling light show. Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks reports on the flash across the night sky that caught many eyes.
MyNews: Flash lights up Saskatchewan night sky
Rod and Florette Meger sent in this video of a flash in the night sky caught by a security camera at their farm north of Biggar, Sask., on February, 21, 2012.
CTV Calgary: Meteor streaks night sky
It was an extremely rare event, and for those who caught it Tuesday evening a once in a lifetime occurrence. Kevin Green reports.
CTV Edmonton: Fireball flashes across the sky
It's an extremely rare event, and one most people never see in a lifetime.
CTV Edmonton Morning Live: Prairies meteorite
Cameras in Saskatchewan and Calgary capture a brilliant flash in the sky that has been confirmed as a meteor that landed in North Battleford, Sask. Laura Tupper has more on the show.

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A meteor that lit up the night sky in Saskatchewan on Tuesday night is seen in this screen image. A camera captures light from a meteorite in Saskatchewan, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012.

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A meteor that lit up the night sky in Saskatchewan on Tuesday night is seen in this screen image.

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Date: Wed. Feb. 22 2012 10:18 PM ET

A cosmic fireball has streaked across the Prairie sky, delighting eyewitnesses in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Alan Hildebrand of the Canadian Fireball Reporting Centre confirmed that the bright flash of light spotted as far west as Lloydminster, Alta. on Tuesday was a meteor hurtling through the sky.

He estimates it weighed about 100 kilograms and landed near North Battleford, Sask.

The space rock revealed itself to onlookers as a dazzling flash of light that disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

Observers marvelled online at the size of the fireball, taking to social media networks to ask others if they caught a glimpse of it.

A Twitter user who identifies herself as Tenille Lafontaine said she was sitting in her Saskatchewan home at about 9:30 p.m. when she saw a flash outside her patio door.

"I brushed it off completely thinking that I probably caught a reflection from the kitchen lighting," she wrote in a blog post. "At the same time, I also felt a loud rumble that made my living room wall shake."

Lafontaine wrote that she started to think twice about the flash and rumble when she logged onto Twitter and noticed other users had seen a streak of light.

Shane Taylor, another eyewitness, spotted the meteor from his home in Wildwood, Alta., about 122 kilometres west of Edmonton.

"You just don't see something like that," he told CTV Edmonton Morning Live. "You see falling stars and stuff, but this is a good sized ball."

Other witnesses in Saskatchewan reported hearing a booming noise accompany the flash of light.

Meteors are capable of putting on a magnificent light show but are, in essence, cosmic debris, said Hildebrand.

"They slow down high up in the atmosphere and then it's just rocks falling through the sky," he told CTV Edmonton.

One witness in south Calgary had a camera pointed at the sky as the meteor streaked northeast of the city. The observer uploaded the footage to YouTube, allowing others to see the brief but brilliant flash of light.

Comments are now closed for this story

Cindy Hall
said

Oh my gosh! I saw this! I was coming home from a meeting in NW Calgary, and there was a huge dropping flash of light with blue. I was shocked because before the meeting, my husband and I had been watching "War of the Worlds" which ironically had the same type of image (but of course, a totally different result.) I thought it was just a quick display of someone's fireworks, so I'm SO glad to read about this! Thank You!!! It was absolutely beautiful!


Doreen Busby
said

My husband and I saw it when we were close to stony plain, Alberta . It was bright green with a white tail and disappeared as quickly as it came. Surprised us and amazed us.


Levi Kamau
said

My watch is correct to the second and since I had it on me at the time I can tell you that the meteor occured at 9:38pm, Saskatchewan time. I was in Moose Jaw, and when I first saw it at first it was a bright green color and I thought it was some kind of firework. It then changed from bright green to the color of flames and then disappeared. In all it lasted about 4 seconds. Oh, and it was in the North West region of the sky for me. Cool stuff.


Malcolm Moccasin
said

I saw this meteor start to finish while from Cochin to North Battleford and it was awesome, it also looked like it didnt land very far away because it started right above our vehicle and i just happened to be looking at the stars through my passenger window.


Morgan Seghers
said

My husband and I where traveling back to Saskatoon from Regina when we seen it in the sky. My husband has seen one before but i never have it was so cool to see it. It was nice to be on the highway at the time because the sky was soo dark you got to see all the lights from it.


Intelligent Liberal
said

That is the LAST TIME I ever use that nuclear powered catapult to travel anywhere. Ouch. Plus it only got me half way to Vancouver.


Phil
said

Random scientific question...how do you know/assume it's a meteor? Could it not just be a piece of space junk that's smaller than a dead satellite?


bikerborz
said

Sorry I missed it. Must have been quite the event!


HOMER NB
said

WHAT DOES IT MEAN ???? DOUBLE RAINBOW !!!


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